This chapter hasn't been edited so apologies for anything that doesn't make sense and please do help me by pointing it out.

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I veered around the big crowd, annoyed at all the elbowing and shoving. Damn uncivilized baboons. Two can play that game.

I sucked in a sharp breath and dove into the pool of nauseating body odor. I kept my head down and elbowed my way, shoved whoever shoved me even harder. Annoyed Casey is not a very pleasurable acquaintance.

When I finally managed to emerge myself from the rest of the crowd, I stopped walking for a while and took my time in catching some needed breath.

The humid air surrounded me, sticking to every part of my exposed limbs and the smell in the air was contaminated with smoke from the engine and the lit cigars by a near bystander who was leaning on a pole, talking on the phone while smoking on the cigarette he held between his pointer and middle finger.

The sound of an oncoming train filled the station and people hollered for each other in the midst of the crowd. They hustled their way towards different platforms.

I still had another ten minutes before my train arrived but knowing that this crowd won't dissipate anytime soon, I started moving again. Maneuvering through the crows with a very heavy backpack is not something that you should try anytime soon. Trust me when I say it isn't the easiest or most comfortable thing to do.

When I finally arrived at my train's platform, the train was just arriving.

The second the doors were open, I hopped inside and hurried to my seat. All I wanted was to get this journey over with and see my Nana's bright smile with her trademark warm and gooey chocolate chip cookies.

The next hours were filled with the rarest of the rare views. The train passed by and through mountains and I enjoyed every second of the view. The mountains touched the blue sky, clear of any clouds; small villages that ornamented the landscape and lakes that reflected the sun's rays.

It reminded me of the lake in the picture that sat on my bedside table. The clear water that rippled slightly, creating shimmers to weave through the surface of the water. I quietly watched the picturesque scenery and enjoyed the peace and quiet for once before last night's events replayed itself and my head drooped at the sudden wave of exhaustion.

I could feel my anxiety and trepidation clashing with a slight sense of excitement and joy. I was torn at both the positivity and negativity of the situation.

He was remembering who I am but what would he say if he finally gathered the pieces and pieced it all together? Would he be angered by the fact that I didn't tell him the truth or reach out to him? Would he be relieved and happy that I left? Would he turn back into the Adam that I lost?

There were so many questions and when I imagine what the answers to each of them could be, I started cringing. I would be furious if I was in his shoes and yet I wouldn't do anything differently if this was to happen again.

I would understand why he would be furious. I wouldn't take the person I trusted keeping me in the dark so lightly. I would've wanted my memories back as soon as I lost them. I wouldn't blame him for wanting to murder me instead.

"It's weird, he told me you killed her but then I get these flashes of small parts of my memory that told me otherwise. It tells me that you don't have it in you to kill her but why would he lie to me? He's my best friend," Adam said in a small voice and I frowned.

Best friend? Jake? I swear if he was somehow backstabbing me after I released him from my wrath for dating Monic, I will skewer him over.

"I didn't kill your mom. She was a great woman," I said in a small voice, willing my vocal chords to work. He's going to find out sooner than later and if I started lying, I was going to dig a deeper hole for myself than I already have.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "But he told me... He wouldn't lie to me, why would he-?" I shook my head, not understanding anything he was saying. Jake wouldn't do this, would he? Even he was smarter than that. He's got to have some more desire to keep on breathing, doesn't he?

"Who is 'he'?" He met my eyes and with a whisper, said aloud the one name that caused me to see red.

"Dom."

When the train finally arrived, I jumped onto a bus that took me to the countryside where my nana's barn was located. It was on a secluded area with small hills nearby where the sheep and horses

If you're worrying about the wild animals that may roam around and pounce on my nana or her animals, you might as well know that she always keeps a loaded shotgun at arm's reach.

Yes, she's that badass nana you'd kill to have.

When I finally got off the bus, I spent a couple of minutes covering the distance between my nana's small house and where the bus dropped me off.

The second I stepped into the small house, the smell of freshly baked cookies hit me and reminded me of the old times where Bryant and I would rush to finish more cookies than the other. Ah, good times.

"Nan..?" I called out and got a muffled response from where the couch is supposed to be.

I walked further inside, losing the thin jacket I was wearing and hanging it on the coat hanger behind the door. I dropped my bag of clothes on the counter before plopping down the couch beside the old woman.

She had her reading glasses on and a book was turned upside down on her lap. I hugged her quickly, kissing her cheek before grabbing the warm cookie and taking a big bite.

"Hello sweetie. How was your trip?" she asked sweetly, smiling ever so brightly. Her crowfeet were even more visible when she smiled and her wrinkled hands clasped my own.

"Beautiful, as always," I grinned through a mouthful. Disgusted? You should know better by now.

She patted my arm, "Well then, you know where you'll be sleeping in. I had George clean it up for you earlier today so it should be ready to be slept in."

Nana adopted George when he first appeared on her doorstep, shivering from the harsh wind that winter brought to these areas. He was a kid then and now, he's all grown up and he's helping Nana around the farm along with a few kids that Nana took in under her wing too.

There should be at least 4 of them in the house, each with a responsibility around the farm. No one was forced to work, or so Nan told me.

George was the oldest and he was a couple of years younger than me. He had fair hair that reached his earlobes the last time that I met him and all the other kids were tanned from working under the sun so much.

I laughed, "Alright Nan. I'll just make a few calls first."

She nodded mindlessly, already picking up her book from her lap; seems like it runs in the family.

I rose from my seat and walked through the backdoor, taking out my phone and sending a text to my mom on the subject of arriving safely before calling Preston's cell. It rang thrice before he finally picked up.

"Will you explain why my brother's been talking to himself like a whacko?" He said right after he picked the phone up and I chuckled nervously.

"You might want to be sitting down for this story."

The next minutes were filled with me explaining what happened the previous night and the things that Adam had told me. I could tell that Preston wasn't all that pleased when I finally came to the part where I had to knock his younger brother out and called Jake to drive us after dropping Monic off at my house.

You didn't think that I was going to leave the poor dude alone in the middle of nowhere, knocked out cold and open for anyone to rob, did you?

No, I wasn't that mean. No, definitely not. Okay, it might've crossed my mind but the important thing is that I didn't actually do it. He was still Adam and he was remembering his past.

I got to the Jones residence for the second time this week to drop an unconscious Adam off at his house. Preston saved the questions and with Jake's help, tucked his brother in his room.

I called my parents and Nan on the way home to tell them I'm visiting my nana the next day and even though they were surprised at the sudden plans, none of them objected so here I was.

"Couldn't you have talked him out of it like a civilized person?" Preston asked in an exasperated tone through the call and I frowned slightly at that.

"Hey, I'm civilized! Besides, you know that he wouldn't have listened willingly to me. You were the one who told me he wasn't exactly himself so you're in no position to judge my actions on how I dealt with his confrontations last night." I argued

"Knocking my brother out just because you panicked after hearing him mention that traitor of a childhood friend of yours is barely civilized," He said in a deadpan tone, causing me to roll my eyes even though he wasn't able to see me.

"Well it's happened so get over it," I said with as much calmness and patience I can muster up.

I could hear him sigh before he muttered a single okay and the line went dead. I mimicked his sigh, entering the house again and plopping on the couch beside Nana. None of us said a thing until Nana put her book down, took her reading glasses off and shifted so that she could face me.

"What is it, sweetie? Has this got anything to do with that silly routine of yours? What was it again?" She scrunched up her face, distaste clear in her expression.

"Street fighting, Nan," I filled in for her. She nodded.

"Ah yes. Honestly Case, I don't understand why you're even doing that pointless activity. It's just going to hurt you, why would you ever put yourself in that position?" I shook my head mentally. This was why I'm keeping this from my parents.

They wouldn't understand the guilt, the pain and the feeling as if you owed it to someone who sacrificed their life for you to do something good for their behalf.

I took the wrong path, I understood that now but it felt so right the first time. It felt right that I got hit, I felt like I deserved the pain being given to me at the time and that was why I didn't quit.

I should've done things differently but I realized this too late.

Maybe after all of this is over, I could start anew.

I would be starting school again in 2 more weeks and by then things wouldn't be any different than it was when I was still in high school.

The only thing that might change is the extreme nerdy outfit. Since this is university now, there's no one who would pay attention that much toward little old me and it's about time I stopped acting like a pushover. I'm my own person now. It's time that I stopped letting people walk all over me.

"I need help Nan. I'm not strong or smart enough," I confessed to her and she grabbed a hold of my cheek to raise my eyes to meet hers. When she saw my eyes, she smiled a bit.

"You both were always so stubborn, it was probably the only thing you have in common," she mumbled quietly. I smiled a small smile, knowing she meant Bryant.

It was true. I was always the reckless one while Bryant was the rational one. We couldn't have been more different before Bryant finally got through to me as a child.

"Mr. Huang, do you remember him?" Nan asked me and I drew my eyebrows together, trying to dig up some memory of the name she mentioned.

"He was your brother's teacher. He taught your brother self-defense whenever you guys would visit. His house is a bit deeper into the woods but you'll find it as long as you stick to the trees that have been marked with blue ribbons. That was how your brother found his way around the woods."

My eyes lightened up. I might have a chance at being better, at surviving the competition.

"Thank you; thank you; thank you!" I kissed her cheek and bounced onto my feet.

"Wait! You are not going anywhere yet. Go tomorrow, you've just arrived and you've had a long journey. Rest, little one," she ordered, her eye twitching a bit and I obediently nodded and grabbed my bag.

The woman's got a point and she was a bit scary with the whole eye twitch. I guess I know where I got that from then. I'm honestly glad to know I could scare people with the eye twitching.

"See you tomorrow, Nan," I hollered before going down the corridor. I heard a faint hum as her response and opened the door to the second bedroom to the left. I got in the room and shut the door.

Tomorrow's going to be something.

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Thank you so much for being patient with me guys.

God bless you guys and Love y'all 💕 -J